The present invention relates to rinsing apparatus for microbiological cleaning of liquid-conducting zones of filling elements of a filling machine.
In German (Federal Republic) Pat. No. 2 747 501--Petzsch et al issued Aug. 14, 1980, there is described rinsing apparatus provided with different constructions of rinsing containers, one form of rinsing container construction being pressed during the rinsing treatment against a filling element by means of pneumatic lifting equipment associated with the filling element, so that the rinsing container closes a sealing seat in the region of the filling element outlet. For this purpose, it is necessary to load the lifting equipment of the filling elements with air during the rinsing treatment, for example with liquor, disinfectant solution and rinsing water, often lasting for hours, during which time air escapes from the lifting equipment and these leakage losses must be compensated for. Moreover, rinsing liquid remains in the rinsing containers after the conclusion of the rinsing treatment and, because there is no means of emptying the containers, they must be emptied by hand after being pushed out of the filling machine and before they are subsequently treated with disinfectant solution. This is also required in the case of the rinsing containers of the other form of construction described in the above-mentioned German patent, except that the lifting equipment in this case can be lowered during the rinsing treatment to an inoperative position, because the rinsing containers are only pressed on by means of the lifting equipment for the purpose of closing the sealing seats and are then held in the sealing position by special retaining devices associated with the filling elements. By contrast with the rinsing containers of the previously described form of construction, however, these containers are not suitable for intermediate rinsings and for the treatment of the filling elements by steam, because the retaining devices do not permit the lowering of the rinsing containers into an intermediate or "steaming" position. For steam treatment, a special set of rinsing containers must be provided, which increases costs and the use of which requires appreciable expenditure of time in the preparation of the machine for the next filling operation.